Help for a Noob

[GerryM]

Hello All:
I hope you don’t mind me asking some Smolensk 41 questions? I am interesting in playing in a historical, not gamey, way. I am trying out the Smolensk Operational Situation 2 which is a meeting engagement. I have a question about recon in this and any scenario in fact.

1. Do you move the Recon unit as far forward as you can in one go and see what it runs into? If yes, then they are greatly separated from support. Or do you move the recon unit forward say 2 hexes, then move some supporting units next to it, and repeat? This would mean that the recon unit has support. (I am thinking in a PBEM that you couldn’t just nudge forward 2 hexes at a time as I assume the log file contains your whole turn.
2. I notice that the hard attack values for a German AC unit and a German Pz38 are both 12/1. I am surprised that the AC unit hits as hard as the Pz38. Looking for an explanation; definitely not saying it should be otherwise as I am not that knowledgeable.

Thanks for your help.

Gerry

[Tide1]

Hi Gerry

I would say it's up to you how far you want to send your recon into the void. Historically the Germans covered huge amounts of ground but they also got caught and decimated by Russian units for doing that.

Welcome to the Blitz sir

[jonnymacbrown]

1. Do you move the Recon unit as far forward as you can in one go and see what it runs into? If yes, then they are greatly separated from support. Or do you move the recon unit forward say 2 hexes, then move some supporting units next to it, and repeat? This would mean that the recon unit has support.
Gerry

There's a button on the expanded (complete) toolbar that allows you to discern how far a unit may advance in T-mode and still have enough MPs remaining to change formation. That's usually the limit you might want to advance with recon. jonny

[Mr Grumpy]

Yes most players use the "bump " method with their recon units as the recon spotting rule is not very popular, so to avoid having your recon unit cut off it is best to leave it with some mp spare just in case it bumps into something nasty, if so you can pull it back, it is always very tempting to just go that one hex too far!

The answer to the HA value question has been lost in time with S41 having been out so long, I assume the AC and PZ38 have different main armament ?

[GerryM]

Hello:

Thanks for the input. I wonder does PBEM force you to place different than solo? It seems in solo you can nudge everything forward together. But in PBEM you would have to maximize what you get out of a unit (in short scenarios at least?) as you have to complete a whole turn before sending the file back. So in PBEM are you more likely to move that Recon unit as far as possible?

Thanks,

Gerry

[Liebchen]

Hello:

Thanks for the input. I wonder does PBEM force you to place different than solo? It seems in solo you can nudge everything forward together. But in PBEM you would have to maximize what you get out of a unit (in short scenarios at least?) as you have to complete a whole turn before sending the file back. So in PBEM are you more likely to move that Recon unit as far as possible?

Thanks,

Gerry

I, for one, do not understand this question. Game play is the same whether it is against the AI or a human, other than that playing against humans is more fun.

There is a button that allows you to reserve MPs for a unit, enough to fire once usually, or to deploy out of T-mode. You can use this to make sure that your ACs have enough freedom to scoot out of danger (after first taking their ambush licking).

I have, on a very few occasions, felt the need to move a recon unit only partially, then some other units react to what has been discovered, then moved the recon unit some more. Considering that all units are supposedly moving simultaneously, I see nothing gamey about this, and the game doesn't prohibit this, either.

And, yes, welcome to the Blitz!

[GerryM]

Thanks for the welcome and sorry for the confusion.

My understanding is that in PBEM you complete a turn at a time. Let's say you have a short scenario and you are under some time pressure to achieve the objectives. To me this means that it requires you to move your recon as far as possible as you only have a few turns to achieve the objectives. (But reserving some MPs as people have said).

Now in a game against the AI you can move the recon unit a couple of hexes at a time, move up supporting units, move the recon unit another couple of hexes, etc. So in the end you have maximized what you get out of the unit in terms of distance.

Can you do the same thing in a PBEM? Or do you have to finish all your actions with the recon unit before you move the second unit?

Thanks,

Gerry

[Liebchen]

Can you do the same thing in a PBEM? Or do you have to finish all your actions with the recon unit before you move the second unit?

There is no such requiement. You choose what units to highlight and do with them what you will.

Basically, the game is identical to one against the AI.

Hope that clears things up for you.

[Compass Rose]

Now in a game against the AI you can move the recon unit a couple of hexes at a time, move up supporting units, move the recon unit another couple of hexes, etc. So in the end you have maximized what you get out of the unit in terms of distance.

Can you do the same thing in a PBEM? Or do you have to finish all your actions with the recon unit before you move the second unit?

You can do 100% exactly what you do in a AI game that would do in a PBEM game as long as you have not exhausted your movement points.

Do yourself a big favor, try playing a few small PBEM scenarios. If you catch the right opponent(s), you will have so much enjoyment that you will never play against the AI again!

[GerryM]

Thanks for clearing up my confusion about PBEM. And hopefully I am working towards some PBEM. I do need to explore the system a bit more first.

Gerry